Fwc Sea Turtle Friendly Lighting
Interior lights can quickly turn a turtle friendly building into one that causes disorientations.
Fwc sea turtle friendly lighting. To learn more check out fwc s sea turtle lighting guidelines. Fwc sea turtle lighting guidelines these guidelines provide general information for all property owners living adjacent to sea turtle nesting beaches but they are specifically designed to help property owners required to avoid and minimize lighting imp acts to sea turtles as part of the state permitting programs such as coastal. Lighting pollution is a serious threat to many types of wildlife. This wavelength is virtually invisible to sea turtles except where they can directly view the intensity of the light source itself.
These fixtures are approved for wildlife use by the florida fish and wildlife conservation commission fwc and are wildlife lighting certified under id 2018 049. These bulbs are sea turtle friendly because they utilize long wavelength light 580 nanometers or longer such as lights that are yellow amber or red in color. The basic concept of sea turtle lighting it to use specific types of light sources such as light bulbs and led lighting that emit a wavelength of 450 nanometers. For more examples and brands of turtle friendly lighting visit fwc s guide that provides examples of turtle friendly lighting.
Fc wildlife friendly certified lighting includes step light directional wall cylinder and bollards. Adult and hatchling sea turtles have an inborn tendency to move in the brightest direction instinctively crawling away from the dark silhouettes of landward dunes and. Examples of sea turtle friendly bulbs. The fixtures and bulbs listed on the pages below have all been reviewed and tested through the wildlife lighting certification program and are categorized by use.
The good news is that there are several quick inexpensive and effective ways to prevent interior lights from being visible from the beach. Turtle friendly lighting is lighting specifically designed to minimize the ecological impact that traditional lighting can have on turtles and wildlife especially near oceans and beaches. Disorientation events occur when artificial lighting on sea turtle nesting beaches disrupts the ability of nesting females and hatchlings to find the sea from the beach. To go to a specific fixture page click on each label.